


The Only Exception

by SamuraiGrl89



Category: The Almighty Johnsons, The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure, Drama, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-11
Updated: 2015-12-17
Packaged: 2017-12-14 15:34:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 19,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/838520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SamuraiGrl89/pseuds/SamuraiGrl89
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A girl wanting to start a new is saved by a norse god who only wanted to go back to his old life, only to find they are both lost in middle earth. With no idea how to get back home, they follow a group of dwarves, a hobbit and a wizard on their quest to reclaim their own home. OFC, Anders/Bragi, Kili, Fili.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The warm summer breeze, the orange hue of the setting sun, the sound of waves gliding across the white beach of the Big Island. It would be considered romantic, beautiful. A paradise. For the past week, that’s what it was for Maya. Yet sitting on the beach, watching the many families and loving couples play and swim, she only felt despair. Paradise could never last forever, she knew that, but it didn’t stop her from wishing it could, from wishing she could just stay there and never return home.

_‘This trip will be good for you.’ She said. ‘It’ll help you clear your mind.’ She said. For a therapist, she’s sure optimistic that a week away can fix what 4 months of coming to see her couldn’t._

Maya let out a sigh as she ran her hand through her auburn hair. She knew her therapist meant well and wanted to help, but Maya’s pain ran deep and though the saying goes that time heals all woulds, each day seemed to get worse.

The trip was her family’s idea. Initially she wanted nothing more than to back out, but after her mother said she had to go, Maya reluctantly requested the week off from work. To her surprise it was fun. With so much to see and do, there was no room in her mind to think of all the problems back home. Now she never wanted to leave.

It would be another two hours before nightfall, which meant that in 12 hours, she would be on a plane back home. She would go back to her daily life of trying to ignore the familiar areas that held so many memories, ignore the constant need to look over her shoulder and Maya quickly wiped away the few  
tears than began to fall down her cheeks. Inwardly she cringed at her weakness. 

_Shit. Come on, Maya! Stop crying. It's stupid to -_

“Ooh” 

The moan pulled Maya from her thoughts. Quickly she scanned behind her only to be greeted by many large rock clusters scattered across the sandy beach down to the water.

“Oh god! Ahh!” 

Hearing a man’s curse, Maya was up on her feet fearing that the man was seriously injured. Yet as she reached the boulder where the sounds where coming from Maya froze and eyes grew wide as she heard the another moan. A woman’s moan.

“Oh yeah!” 

He seemed to become more vocal now and Maya could feel the heat of a blush spread across her cheeks and down her neck.

_Oh god…He's not injured…_

She should have walked away. Should have just ignored them and pretend she heard nothing, but combination of the stranger's strangled moans becoming more intense, she found herself paralyzed in utter shock.

A few more curses followed by a chocked cry and she knew it over for the man. Suddenly panicked with the possibility of getting caught, she forced her legs to move. The hasty decision proved to be a mistake as her legs gave out under her. With one glance back, she saw the backside of a woman. Her heart pounded in her chest with fear as she quickly made a break for the water. At the first touch, she hissed in shock at the brisk temperatures, but she ignored it and pushed farther into the ocean. She had gotten waist deep when she realized her mistake. Viewing the distance from all the other beach goers and surfers, she bit her lip.

"Shit...I could have gotten this far swimming…ya…Nothing strange about swimming...in my shorts and tank top...”

She cringed, but it was too late to do anything she turned back to see a young woman in a white cocktail dress emerge from her hiding spot, carrying a pair of heels. Fear of being seen, Maya quickly dove under the water. Trying her best to keep her eyes closed, she blindly swam towards the scattered rocks just a nearby. At the feel of a rocky surface against her hand, she breached the surface for air. Her contacts still in place, she made sure that she hadn’t been seen. The owner of the voice she heard now standing behind his lover. His hands tucking his white button up shirt into his black slacks before putting on a black blazer.  
  
The two lovers embraced in a passionate kiss. She could feel a blush spread across her face and neck as the kiss lead to two groping each other. The woman looked like she was about ready to do him right then and there, and while Maya was surprised at the woman's boldness, she remembered it was  
only the three of them on this end of the beach.

With her back to Maya, their hands and bodies stilled for a brief moment before she walked off, leaving the man standing alone.The waves slowly picked up, pushing her against the rock with a bit more force. Digging her feet into the sand as she pushed against the rock, Maya did her best to keep hidden as she watched the woman practically skip off leaving her boyfriend behind looking incredibly smug.

“That’s a weird…”

So confused by their actions, Maya didn’t notice the large wave until it hit her, sending her out from behind the rock.

____________

It had been two days since he left Auckland to the beautiful island of Hawaii. With Helen dying and Gaia becoming Idunn, Anders needed to get away. Get back in touch with the old Anders. A good shave, some fun with a flight attendant in the airplane bathroom, a quickie with a girl from some bar near his hotel, and a blow job on the beach seemed the best way to do that.

Pride spread through Anders as the woman, whose name he had forgotten long ago, walked away. The young God reveled in the ability to make mortals do his bidding, especially if they were attractive and female. The thrill of the game was back. However, the thrill didn’t last forever when he noticed a young girl straighten up in the water.

_How long has she been there?_

She looked young, very young. He raised a brow taking in her soaked tank top that revealed her bikini top. It wasn't everyday that he saw a young girl swam while wearing a shirt over her swim suit. She stilled hadn't noticed him as she stared off at the beach. Following her gaze, he caught sight of the woman he had been with not two minutes ago.

_Odd._

“Oi!” 

He stuck his hands in his pockets and raised a brow. Her body tensed as she turned to face him, eyes wide. She didn’t respond, just hesitantly looked around, confused.  

“Yeah, I’m talking to you!”  

He stuck his hands in his pockets and raised a brow. As he took a step forward, the girl took one step back. The reaction caused Anders to pause for a moment before he took another step forward. Again, she moved deeper into the water. 

“What are you doing over there?” 

She mumbled something as she lowered herself into the water.

“What?” 

“Swimming…” 

Her voice was still almost impossible to hear over the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks. A small laugh escaped from his mouth, yet whether it was from the disbelief of her response or of how innocent she looked saying it, he didn't know. Letting out a small sigh he found her almost fully submerged, the only sight of her being her nose and eyes. The waves began to swell as the high tide came in.

"Look...why don't you come on in? Don't want you getting swept away."

She stared at him uncertainly, as if contemplating his request before finally she reluctantly gave in. Slowly she straightened. The water once coming just above her waist now lay just below her breasts. Despite looking barely legal, it didn't stop Anders from gazing over them. If he had only kept his eyes on her face as she treaded towards the shore, he would have been able to warn her of the large wave that seemed to come out of no where. Yet he didn't notice it until it was too late and she was pushed below the surface with a quick yelp.

____________

Anders eyes went wide and mouth dropped. Quickly he covered his mouth to hide his laughter. It was only after several waves crashed over the spot where the girl disappeared below the surface did Anders’ laughter die. A quick scan of the surrounding area only revealed she had yet to surface.  Dragging his hand down his face, Anders began to panic.

"Shit!" 

He hastily drew out his cell phone and dialed for police. He only listened to the busy tone a brief second before hanging up.

“Shit! What do I do?” 

He turned to cry for help but seeing how far the few beach goers were, he quickly dismissed that idea and returned his focus, back to where he last saw her.

He strained to see as the sky slowly dimmed as the sun set and, for a while, all he saw were waves, when he caught sight of a hand pop up above the surface several feet from where she originally was standing.

“Shit! Shit! Uh...Uh... I have to get help- No! It’ll be too late!” Anders pulled his hair as he paced frantically.  

He was no hero and in no circumstance liked the idea of risking his life for someone he barely knew, unless it was for the Frigg, and even then he was iffy on the idea.

“Oh for fuck's sake!"

A quick pull of his hair, Anders growled. His hastily threw off his dress shoes and socks, and dashed into the water.

____________

Maya tried not to panic, as the current pulled her under, but as wave after wave toppled over her and her need for air. Panicking was near impossible. Kicking as hard as she could, she managed to get her face to breach the surface just in time to take a deep breath before getting pushed down by another wave. She tried swimming parallel to the shore but it felt like she was going no where fast. She was losing energy fast and with night quickly approaching, Maya feared that she was never going to be helped. Either she would drown here or get carried out to the ocean and die lost at sea.

Her movements slowed with defeat when suddenly someone grabbed her hand. The hand skimmed up her arm and around her waist, keeping her close to avoid being pulled away from the current. Maya kept her eyes closed tight, blindly trusting the her rescuer as she grabbed hold of the hand. Feeling him kick, she attempted to do the same.

_Stop panicking, stop panicking. Just kick and stay calm._

Her mantra only helped for a moment or two when she felt something pull at her legs, dragging them deeper in the water. At first she wondered if it was all in her head, but the feeling of her rescuers body go rigid, only confirmed her fears. Panic set in once again.

____________

Anders held on tight to the girl. Feeling her grip tighten around his hand, he knew that she was just as scared as he was. The current was strange. Each kick seemed to send them in the opposite direct as the current grew stronger. As much as Anders wanted to try and hide his fears, he was running out of air.  
The pressure built up in his ears to the point where he could hear the blood rushing in his head. Plugging his nose with his free hand, he swallowed the remaining air in his mouth, hoping that he could get to the surface soon. The tension in the girl’s hand slowly loosened, alarming Anders as he looked down. Her eyes were still closed but her face and body relaxed.

_No no no no no! Stay with me. If you die on me, I swear!_

The current all but vanished the moment Anders stopped kicking. Not bothering to think about the sudden change, he kicked to the surface. He chocked gasping for air the moment he breached the surface. Still trying to remember how to breath, Anders hoisted the girl against him tilting her head back to lean against his shoulder. With her mouth so close to his ear he should have heard her breathing, but he heard nothing. 

"Fuck! Help! Someone pl-”

The words died on his lips as he took in his surroundings. The vast ocean of Hawaii was gone and in its place they waded in the middle of a calm river. A grassy incline on either side of the river led to a forest, but even in the well moon lit sky, Anders couldn’t see anything past the first layer of trees.    
Pushing his confusion aside, he quickly kicked to the edge of the river. Once his feet could touch the ground, Anders lifted the girl in his arms. He managed to walk a few feet away from the water before his legs gave out and he fell to his knees. Carefully he placed her on the ground.

“Help! Anyone!” 

He ran his hand through his hair as his eyes darted around. 

“Shit!” Leaning his ear over her mouth confirmed she wasn’t breathing. “No no no. Come on!” 

Very hesitantly he placed his hands in the middle of her chest and pressed down. The motion got no reaction so he tried again, and again. A shiver ran through his body, though from fatigue or fear he wasn’t sure. Probably both. 

“Breathe dammit!” 

After one more quick push, forced the water from her lungs sending her into a fit of coughing and gasping for air. 

“Oh fuck! Thank you!”

As she turned over, Anders let himself collapse onto the river bank as a wave of relief washed over him. His chest heavily rising and falling, he glanced over at the girl. Her back still turned to him as she coughed and gasped for breath.  

____________

After several moments, her breathing finally evened out and for a moment, she had to wonder if she only imagined her rescuer.

“You okay?”

Maya’s eyes widened and body tensed up. Whipping her head around, she quickly sat up. The man from the beach remained on his back as he stared at her from a side glance.

“You!” 

“Oh good she speaks.” 

Taking in his drenched clothes and heavy breathing, it didn’t take a genius to realize that he had rescued her.

“I...Thank you.” Casting her eyes to the ground, she tried to ignore the feeling of shame and embarrassment. The feeling was fleeting however, as she saw the flowing river and forest of trees. “W-where are we?” 

His sigh brought her attention back to him as he sat up, propping his arms on his knees.  “First things first. What’s your name? I think it’s only fair considering I risked my neck saving your.” 

It was true, but that didn’t stop Maya from hesitating.

“It’s Maya.” 

“Well Maya, to answer your question, your guess is as good as mine.” 

_Great…_

Her face fell as the blond haired man stood up, water dripping from his closed collecting in the pool that had already started to form. 

“How did we even get here?” 

The man shrugged absently as he inspected his clothes. 

“All I know is that, you, miss, owe me a new me a new suit when we find our way back to civilization.” 

"What?" 

Maya's brows raised. He wrung out the excess water form his jacket. 

"You heard me."

“You're kidding, right? We almost died-”

“Uh. Actually, you almost died. I saved you. And no. This was my favorite jacket.” 

Maya pinched the bridge of her nose. “So let me get this straight...I almost died, we’re lost and all you care about is your stupid suit!?” 

“I never said we were lost…”

_You just said you didn’t know where we were!_

Maya gaped at him, completely stunned at the man’s nonchalant attitude. 

“Mia!” 

She inhaled sharply and clenched her fists at the name. “It's Maya.” 

He rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Where you even listening to me?” 

Maya shot him a glare as she suddenly wished the prick of a man had just let her drown.

“What?” 

His question sincere and it was Maya’s turn to roll her eyes as she jumped to her feet. 

“Oh god!” 

As if put in the wash cycle, the world began spinning faster and faster. Choking back her crying, she fell forward. Anders quickly grabbed hold of her, wrapping his arms around her waist. Maya tried to push him off, but he only tightened his hold. 

“It’s ok. I got you.” 

“No! Let me go. Spinning...need to sit, please! Please just let go!” 

She couldn’t hear what he was saying. She only held onto his arms as he lowered her down. Keeping her eyes closed only stopped her from seeing the world spin, but she still felt as if she were on the Disney tea cup ride. The moment she was seated on the ground, she let go, planting her hands on the ground. Slowly opening her eyes, the spinning gradually came to a stop and all was still. She hung her head, as she breathed out a sigh of relief. 

“What just happened there?” 

She waited for a second or two, taking even breaths before responding.

“Got up too quickly. I’m fine now.” 

Maya attempted to get up, but was stopped by the hand on her back. 

____________

Ander’s frowned as she pushed his hand away before standing up. He had to admire her stubbornness but at the same time, he knew she wasn’t fine and the last thing he wanted to deal with was the girl dying on her. If she died, he had no idea how he would be able to explain it to the police let alone his brothers, who already have such little faith in him.

“Just sit down and stay here. I’m going to go find help.” 

She slowly nodded. Anders hesitantly lifted his hand off her back. He waited a few seconds to make sure she wouldn’t move. Satisfied she would stay, he quickly turned and ran up the small grassy hillside. 

\----------

The sight was disheartening as all he could see in the bright moon light, were trees. 

_This is stupid. I should be back in my hotel room with a beautiful girl and fucking her brains out._

Anders groaned as a slight breeze picked up chilling his wet clothes causing him to shudder. With no sign of a road or any town near by, he had no idea which direction to turn. Biting his lower lip, he looked around. He reluctantly decided to keep walking straight.  

He had only taken a few steps forward when he heard the rustling of footsteps behind him. Spinning around, he expected to find some dangerous animal but his shoulders dropped at eyes narrowed at the sight of Maya standing behind him.

“I thought I told you to stay put.” 

She ducked her head, as she bit her lip and lowered her eyes. Anders pinched the bridge of his nose. The frustration building inside of him. He didn’t have time to deal with this. He moved to stand in front of her and gently he lifted her chin.

Staring into her dark brown eyes, he gave a small smile. _“You are perfectly safe here and you will stay here until I get back.”_

She should have nodded, should have been completely under his control. But instead her eyes narrowed a bit as she pulled away. 

“Yea...Thanks for your concern and for saving me...but I’m fine. Let’s just find someone who can help us, ok?

Maya gave a weak smile as she walked past him. Anders’ mouth hung open for a split second before he glanced back at Maya walking away.

_What the hell just happened? That should have worked...The only time it didn’t was when..._

Anders’ closed his mouth to a snarl. “Axl I swear if you’re sick again, I’m gonna make sure you never get laid again.”

\----------

  
They were about five minutes from the river when they finally come across a dirt path. The random patches of grass and lack of footprints did nothing to comfort Anders. A quick glance up and down the path revealed no lights or sign of a town diminished the rest of Anders' hopes of getting help. With a sigh Anders scratched the back of his head. 

"Which way do we go?" 

Anders let his hand drop to his side and shrugged. "Doesn't really matter. Either direction we go, we probably won't find anything til morning."

"What?! No, we have to find someone!”

Still stuck on wondering what went wrong with his powers, Anders hadn't heard a thing Maya said. The blurred figure rushing past him caught his attention.

A quick double take where she had been by his side only confirmed the figure walking away was Maya. He had barely opened his mouth to say something when she snapped at him.

"Hurry up!" 

"Oi!"

She only responded by walking faster forcing Anders to jog after her.

"Will you. Wait!" Anders nearly stumbled as he caught her arm finally getting her to stop and face him. 

"If we hurry we can try to find someone and get back before morning. You might be able to wait but-"

"You really think I want to waste a night out here? I could be with a beautiful woman in my room but instead I'm stuck in the middle of fucking nowhere with a sixteen year old!"

It was harsh, more so than Anders intended, but he was tired, horny and wet. She kept her eyes locked on his chest saying nothing. Just when Anders was beginning to feel guilty about shouting at her, she looked up at him. The look of panic in her dark eyes now replaced by anger.

"If you want to wait til morning fine. But I’m getting back with or without you."

Before Anders could even respond, the girl turned and continued walking.

_This girl is really starting to piss me off._

Pursing his lips, Anders held his tongue as he took a deep breath and walked after her.

\-------------

Neither spoke as they walked the only sound coming from the dirt crunching beneath their feet and the sound of crickets in the grass around them. Maya's pace had slowed since they first started walking, a few miles back, which Anders was great full for but despite their fatigue she insisted they continue walking. 

"So do you just plan to keep walking all night?" 

Anders' face fell when he didn't find the girl by his side. Stopping he turned to find her standing a few feet away, eyes closed and hand extended trying to grab hold of anything stable. Anders to raise a brow in confusion and he would have laughed had he not taken notice of the slight sway of her body.

Certain she was going to fall, he rushed to her side. She didn't open her eyes, however, Anders could feel her body tense as he grabbed hold of her arm. 

"Oi. You alright?"

She shook her head taking a slow, deep breath. She opened her mouth to respond but Anders didn't want to hear it. 

"No shut up you're lying. Now tell me what's wrong?" 

One more deep breath and she opened her eyes. "Just got dizzy. I'm fine now."

Without missing a beat, she straightened up. Any sign of her state of dizziness, gone. Still not quite believing her, Anders kept his hold on her arm.

"That happen to you a lot?" 

She shrugged out of his grip and gave a small smile. "Thanks again for the concern but-"

"Oh it's not out of concern. If this is something serious I don't want to deal with the death of a child-" 

"Im not a child." Maya's face fell and eyes narrowed.

"- so you better tell me what's really going on because that last excuse was bullshit and you know it." 

His glare caused her to shrink and avert her eyes. 

"It's not serious. Just hungry and dehydrated.”

Her defeated tone was convincing however something to Anders she wasn’t being completely honest. “Dehydrated...”

“Yes!” Anders raised a brow. “What!? Look I’m fine alright! I’m not going to die anytime soon, I just need to eat. So can we please just go!?”

“Ok! Ok.” Her defensiveness startled Anders. Taking a slow breath he softened his tone a bit in hopes it would calm her down. “We’ll go. Just breath  
alright?..So you’re not dying?”

"No." She replied casting her eyes aside.

He nodded. He would be satisfied with the excuse for now, but his curiosity to know why she got so defensive was getting the better of him. Anders followed close behind. Anders was intrigued. Irritated and annoyed, but intrigued nonetheless.

The touch of her hand on his arm brought him out of his thoughts.

"Anyway, I'm fine now. So let's go." 

He gave a small nod. They walked side by side. Maya focused completely on the path, and Anders who kept a close watch at his unusual companion.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anders and Maya continue their journey to find help.

Maya’s eyes fluttered open, her vision still blurry with sleep. With a yawn, she rolled onto her back, causing her blanket to shift half way off of her.

_That was such a weird dr-_

She paused in mid-thought as she shifted against the hard cold ground. Cringing, she opened her eyes to a bright blue sky. She shot up to a sitting position and took in the grassy field spotted with the occasional tree or two.

“What the hell!?”

Her eyes widened as her hands grabbed hold of her blanket. Looking down, she found a familiar black blazer draping over her lap. A shifting movement caught her attention in the corner of her eye. There laying on his side still sleeping peacefully, was the man who rescued her.

**_5 hours ago_ **

_I have to get back before they notice._

It was the one thought that Maya kept repeating over and over in her head as she fought to keep moving. Anders had given up trying to convince her to stop long ago after his complaints went ignored. So instead he continued on in silence, glaring at her head.

With no working phone or watch, it was impossible to know how long they had been walking, however it wasn’t long before their legs were becoming too fatigued to hold them up. Despite Anders catching her as she stumbled, on more than one occasion, Maya pushed on.

Struggling to keep his heavy lids from closing and finally at his wits end, Anders snapped. “Okay that’s it! We have to stop!”

Maya paused in her tracks and shot him a look of annoyance.

“Don’t give me that look.” Maya opened her mouth to protest, but Anders continued. “I know, I know! You have to get back. Well, I hate to break it to you but that’s not going to happen. It’s late, I’m exhausted. I’ve already risked my life for you once, and I’m certainly not going to die walking to fucking who knows where with you. Now you can keep going, but I’m done for tonight. I’m going to stay here and sleep. So when you wise up, you’re more than welcome to come back and find me, yeah?”

With that, Anders walked over to a near by tree where he sat down and leaned against the trunk before closing his eyes. Anger dissolved to fear as Maya realized he meant what he said. She swallowed around the lump that formed in her through and turned back to the path. She knew he was right, but she refused to admit it. So, fighting against all instincts to stay with the man, she resumed her trek. Each step leaving the man further behind.

_**Present** _

“It wasn’t a dream.” Her shoulders slumped as the events from last night came rushing back. Slowly she brought her knees to her chest and sighed.

_Shit. I’m going to be in so much trouble when I get back._

She closed her eyes and buried her face in her arms as she tried to ignore the fear that gnawed at her.

“Where am I?” The sleepy moan caused Maya to jump and turn her attention back to the now half awake man.

_____________

Anders rubbed his eyes and let out a yawn as he sat up. Turning his head, his eyes widened upon seeing the auburn haired girl from the beach.

 “Oh bloody hell.” He let out a groan and flopped back down on the grass. The dream hadn’t been a dream at all and Anders wasn’t sure what he was more upset about. Being lost in the middle of no where with no cell phone, and possibly no reception anyway, or being lost in the middle of no where with no cell phone and a stubborn teenager.

Opening one eye, he caught Maya biting her lower lip as she suppressed a laugh. The reaction surprised him. Opening both eyes, the smile that had intrigued him enough to sit up, quickly fell as she looked away from him.

“Morning.”

Her voice held no hostility or sarcasm. He raised a brow. “Morning. How long have you been awake?”

She threw a quick glance over at Anders then shrugged. “Not long.”

Anders nodded, staring out into the distance. “Thought you would have been off walking by now, since you have to get back so bad.”

He could see her body tense in the corner of his eye. It was easy for him to get under people’s skins and she was no different.

“Doesn’t matter now. What happened with you staying back there?”

His face fell, unsure how to respond to the question. Sure he felt bad letting her walk off by herself but he wasn’t going to admit that to her. So he held his tongue, which didn’t seem to phase the young girl as she stood up and brushed herself off.

“We should get going.”

He expected her to turn and start walking again, so he was surprised when he looked up to find her extending a hand to him. Fighting against his suspicions, he took her hand.

“Thanks.” He said brushing off his pants.  
 “Um...Here.” She held up his blazer, neatly folded in her hands. Anders nodded with a sigh and took it back. Biting her lip, she winced a smile before slowly walking away.

_Of course. Only makes sense I’d be lost with a bipolar nut. If this is Mike’s idea of a joke, it’s not funny._

Anders stifled his groan as he tucked the blazer under his arm and walked after her.

\-----------

  
Anders and Maya were traveling blind as the grass swallowed up the path. Slowly they made their way to the top of a large hill only to stop dead in their tracks. Hearing a gasp coming from his companion, Anders opened his mouth, but words failed to come out.

There before them was a valley of rolling hills. As if out of a fairy tale, several small doors spotted the side of the hills, complete with picket fences and flowery bushes. The dirt roads added layers to the hillside. A small lake off in the distance and random farm animals grazed on the grass. But while it was all beautiful, their shock lay with the many people that walked about this bizarre town. Dressed in clothing from the middle ages, they looked to be the size of small children. Perhaps no taller than three feet.

Convinced that it had to be the work of his brothers, Anders smirked and started down the hill only to stop when he didn’t hear Maya follow. Looking back, she simply stood there. Brows furrowed with worry.

_Now she stays._

Anders rolled his eyes. “Oi! You coming?”

Maya hesitantly shook her head. “Let’s just go back.”

“What?!” He hissed, storming up to her. “What do you mean go back? There’s nothing back there and it was your brilliant idea to keep walking.”

“I know and I’m sorry, but seriously. This...something’s not right.”

The raw fear in her eyes was enough to shift his anger to guilt and all he wanted to do was find the nearest bar.

“Let’s just keep going...Please.”

Letting out a slow breath, Anders gently grasped her arms with both hands and looked her in the eyes. _“You’re a brave girl, and I know you’re scared. But we need to go down there. We need to get back home. So you have to be strong. For me.”_

She took a deep breath and bit her lip before giving a small nod. Uncertain if his powers of manipulation had come back, Anders lifted her head and stared into her scared eyes once more.

_“Good girl. Now I want you to go down there and find someone to help us.”_

“Oka- wait. Aren’t you coming too?”

_“No. I’m going to wait here til you get back.”_

It was obvious that she was utterly confused by what happened, yet it didn’t stop her from walking down the hill leaving Anders to his thoughts.

_Now my powers work...what the fuck is going on?...And where are we?_

_____________

  
_What the hell just happened?_

Her head was spinning, as she made her descent down the hill. There was no reason for why she had listened to him, there was only this strong compelling need to do as she was told. Spotting a little girl ahead, Maya pushed her thoughts aside and cautiously approached her.

“Um...Excuse me?”

As she looked up, Maya inhaled sharply. What looked like a young child from a far and head lowered, was really an older woman. As her eyes raked over Maya, her face contorted with disgusted and before she could ask anything, the older woman scurried off.

To distrust people, and want to avoid talking with them, Maya could understand; and yet to hurry off as if she was America’s most wanted, was mind boggling. It was impossible to begin to wonder if she had done something wrong as everyone she attempted to speak with or even look at would hurry off in the opposite direction. She was quickly becoming discouraged to say the least. Spotting an older man, rolling an empty wheel barrel a head, she mustered up the remaining courage and happiness she had before walking up to him.

“Excuse me? Hi. I was wondering if-”

As the man turned around his smile shifted to frown. With a quick once over, he hissed under his breath. “Disgusting.”

“What...”

“A common whore coming ‘round these parts. Nothing but trouble. Your kind don’t belong here.”

She couldn’t respond as the words destroyed whatever remaining confidence she had. Still feeling his cruel eyes on her, she wanted nothing more than to disappear at that moment.

“Oi!”

Snapped out of her daze, she turned to find the blond step up to her side.

“I think you owe her an apology and that you should beg for her forgiveness.”

The small man scoffed before pushing his wheel barrel down the road.

“Huh...that should have worked...Anyway, you okay?”

_No. I just want to go home._

She held her tongue as she tried to push down her emotions and nodded. He held her gaze for moment, obviously unconvinced, before he shrugged off his blazer and draped it over her shoulders.

“Put this on before you cause anymore trouble. Now let’s find someone who can actually help us.”

With a scowl she shrugged the jacket on. _Just when I think he actually has a heart. He opens his mouth. Jerk._

While she didn’t enjoy his company, she found comfort in his attitude as the townsfolk kept their distance from her. However the more she thought about it, she realized that she still didn’t know his name. She didn’t know anything about him, apart from his arrogance and unsympathetic nature, and yet she found herself almost glued to his side as she tried to avoid the judging eyes.

Her thoughts came to a halt when a small man with a large backpack came barreling around the corner. A split second was all she had to move aside just as he collided with her blond haired companion, sending them both to the ground.

“What the fuck!?” “I’m so sorry!”

Maya held out a hand for the blond to take. Out of anger, and perhaps a bit of embarrassment, he shoved her hand away as he stood up brushing himself off. She held back her scowl as she held up the smaller man who was rambling on about being in a hurry and something about a contract. So distraught and focused on checking the long paper he picked up off the ground, he hadn’t yet looked up at Maya nor the man he knocked down. Still, Maya already liked him better than the cracky man beside her.

“Again I am so sorry. If there is anything I can...”

His mouth dropped as he looked up. “I...I’m sorry but do I know you?”

Maya raised a brow at her companion, who seemed just as confused as her. “No. Pretty sure you don’t.”

The smaller man scratched his head, studying the blonds face. Suddenly his eyes widened. “Fili! W-what happened to you and your...clothes? And who is this? Where is Thorin? I was hurrying to catch up but if I had known-”

Off his rambling went again. Raising a brow to the man, she bit her lip. “So your name’s Fili?”

“What? No!” Holding up his hands, the smaller man quickly stopped his talking. “Look, I don’t know you and I’m not-”

“Now I don’t know what game you’re trying to play with me, but I specifically remember you and your friends make a mess of my house. If this is Gandalf’s idea because I didn’t sign the contract, well you’re too late. I signed. Now where is everyone?”

His brows furrowed. “Everyone?”

The smaller man looked around, like he was anticipating for someone to jump out and say ‘boo!’ “So...You came here alone?”

“I...What?”

The man brushed off his confusion as he readjusted his pack. “We need to hurry. Already late as it is.”

Off he went, running down the path leaving behind two very confused people.

“Come on!” He cried out.

Maya frowned as she looked to her companion for guidance. He seemed just as unsure as she. The distance between them was growing as she chewed on her lower lip.

_He seemed willing to help..._

Taking a deep breath, she ran off after him with her companion not far behind.

\------------

The smaller man was much faster than Anders thoughts, as he struggled to keep up. He never ran or exercised for that matter. In fact, the last time he had run this much was because some psych bitch was trying to kill him and his family. Glancing over at Maya, he scowled. No sweat. Her breathing was heavy but she wasn’t gasping air like he was, and he could have sworn that she actually slowed down so he wouldn’t be left behind. He hated her.

“Why are we following him?...Just back there...you were practically...begging...to go back to the river...” He huffed.

“He seems. Nice. Plus, he knows you, Fili.”

“Yeah, well I don’t...know who...he is...and my name isn’t...Fili.”

He cringed as the name felt so foreign on his lips. The feeling of unhappiness was fleeting at a sudden giggle from Maya. He raised a brow at the insulting reaction. Still, seeing her smile for once was refreshing. Meeting his eyes, her smile faltered as she returned her attention to the small man.

“Sorry...So what is your name then? Never did get it before.”

“Anders...” Was all he could muster. _Please let him stop soon!_

His legs burned and his sides ached with a cramping pain.

“Side cramps?”

Anders didn’t know if she was a mind reader or if he failed at hiding his discomfort. Without getting a chance to question her, she indicated to his hand on his hip with a nod of her head. He hadn’t even realized when he moved his hand there. “I’m fine.”

“Ah. Well if you do feel it...Just take slow deep breaths. Should help stop the cramps.”

_That’s stupid._

He scoffed but nevertheless, began evening his breathing. It was working, but he wasn’t going to admit she was right.

\------------

  
“Wait! Wait!”

The smaller man was waving his arm like a mad man as he ran up to a group of men riding horses. They were dressed in similar clothing to the men in that one movie with about the ring, though he never did see the whole thing. Anders and Maya slowed to a stop as the group stopped their horses as waited for the smaller man to catch up. Relief swept through him as he keeled over trying to catch his breath.

“I signed it.”

“Everything appears to be in order. Welcome Mister Baggins to the company of Thorin Oakenshield.”

_Thorin Oak and what?_

Straightening up to the laughter and small cheers, Anders studied the smaller man, this Mister Baggins, smile with pride.

“I um...I just had one question...What happened to Fili after you sent him for me?”

The group went quiet. A dark haired man whipped his head around with wide eyes. “Fili? Fili has been in our company since we left the Shire.”

“No, but that can’t be true because he-”

“I can assure you, Mister Baggins, I haven’t seen you since last night. Nor has anything happened to me.”

Mister Baggins spun around to face a blond haired man sitting with his back to Anders. The stunned man paled. “But...If you’re Fili...then who is that?”

All eyes shifted to Anders and Maya. With swift movements, the men all dismounted and drew out their weapons as they surrounded the newcomers. All  
stood no taller than 4 feet.

“What kind of magic is this?” Demanded the dark haired man that stepped forward.

A young brown haired man standing behind the apparent leader of the group, dropped his weapon as stepped up to Anders with a look of shock and awe.

“Brother...I fear I have lost my mind...”

Anders raised a brow, unsure who he called brother. Though his own question when a blond haired man joined his brother. “If you have, then we all have, for I see the same as you.” He said with a look of disbelief. His voice held a distinct British accent.

It bothered Anders to see so many stunned looks, yet not know the reasoning behind them. The man looked nothing like him. His hair was long, with two neat braids on either side of his head. His bead was short with a braided mustache. It was only when he locked eyes with the shorter man, that Anders blood ran cold.

“Anders...It’s...”

Maya didn’t need to finish. For the young man’s blue eyes were not just any eyes but the same eyes he saw when he looked in the mirror. He began to hyperventilate as the man with his eyes stepped closer. With his head spinning and unable to handle the overwhelming panic, Anders fell back and passed out cold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it. Still trying to do justice to Anders personality. I wold love to hear your reviews.


	3. Chapter 3

"Anders!"

Maya's eyes widened as she knelt beside the fainted man. Fearing the worst, she pressed two fingers to the side of his neck. Her head dropped as she breathed out a sigh-of-relief at the feel of the steady pulse. Looking up, she found the small men slowly inch forward until they surrounded her. The dark haired leader stepped forward. His eyes boring down at her.

"Who are you?"

She opened her mouth, but found herself unable to speak.

"Answer me!" Try as she might, she was unable to hide her fear. "Speak!"

She turned back to her companion and bit her lip. She may not have liked him, but she wanted nothing more than for him to choose that moment to wake up. Unfortunately luck was not on her side.

"Perhaps she would answer if you didn't frighten her." A tall man in gray approached, towering over the other men. His gaze never left her, however, though they held the same suspicion as the others, there was an underlying sympathy in them. "Now step aside."

The men obeyed. Even their leader made way for the older man to step forward, though he did not hide his scowl. The man seemed kind, but it didn't stop Maya's instinctual shift closer to Anders.

With a pause, the man in gray gave a small smile. "We mean you no harm, child. What is your name?"

Before she could respond, someone spoke up. "Why does he have my brother's face?"

Maya craned her neck to see a young beardless man standing just behind the man in gray. With a glare, he started to step forward only to be stopped by his brother. The blond, Fili, narrowed his eyes at her. The resemblance was uncanny. Yes, he was shorter and had a beard, but put them side by side and one would swear that this man, Fili, and Anders were brothers.

Pushing aside her thoughts, she swallowed. "I..I don't know..."

"So...if he's not Fili, then what is the name of your husband?"

All eyes turned to the timid man who stayed on his pony and for a moment, Maya was speechless.

"M-my what?! No! He is not my husband."

"I do not care whether he is your husband or not. What is his name?!"

Maya flinched again as the dark haired man stepped around the man in gray. Her eyes shifted from his wild blue eyes to the ground as she bit her lower lip.

"He said his name is Anders." She said softly.

"You do not know?" He said suspiciously.

Maya shook her head. Before she could respond, Anders gasped for air. His eyes shot open. Blue eyes filled with pain as his back arched off the ground. Shock paralyzed Maya as his body began to convulse.

"What is happening?!"

The deep voice snapped her out of her stupor. Quickly she shrugged off his blazer. Folding it up, she placed it under his head, in hopes that it helped to avoid any serious injuries. Yet the convulsions became worse. Without thinking, Maya grabbed hold of Anders hand.

Whipping her head to the dark haired leader, she cried out. "Don't just stand there! Someone help him!"

The smaller man just stood still, as did the others. None knew what to say or do. Her attention was drawn back to Anders as he let out a pained cry, his hand clutching hers in a death grip.

"Hold on! Just hold on! Please." Tightening her hold on his hand. "Dammit Anders, don't-"

A searing pain shot through her body. Still reluctant to let go of his hand, she ignored it. However, another wave hit her hard causing her double over.

A hand pressed against her shoulder. "Miss, are you alright?"

The pain slowly subsided. Slowly taking deep breaths she lifted her hear to find a man with a long mustache and funny-looking hat, standing over her. Fear clear as day in his face. Slowly nodding, Maya sat up. Her relief was short lived as the pain returned.

Doubling over, again, she found herself leaning against the unconscious Anders', holding onto his hand as she tried not to cry from the overwhelming agony.

_I hurt so bad. Please make it stop. Please..._

As if someone heard her silent pleas, she became numb and soon darkness followed.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

_"You don't make them want to."_

_A bodiless voice echoes around her._

_"It doesn't matter to me either way."_

_Maya shakes her head. She grabs her phone from the passenger seat of her car._

_"It's 8...Where the hell..."_

_Looking around, she no longer sat in her car in an empty lot. The familiar low lit concrete hallway stands before her. Walking confidently, she finds the room she's visited so often. No light means no one's home. Another glance at her watch. 9 PM._

_Her phone beeps. Taking it out of her pocket, she opens the text message._

_"Stop calling. You're bothering me."_

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Regaining consciousness, Maya slowly opened her eyes. The unexpected darkness caused Maya to blink a few times. If not for the faint glimmer of the stars above her, she would have thought she had gone blind. Looking around, she attempted to sit up only to notice the feeling of rope around her hands. Lifting her head, she found her hands and feet bound. While questions arose when seeing this, panic only set in when she realized that the clothes she wore were no longer the tank top and shorts she had on before she blacked out but were similar to the clothes the smaller men wore.

"Wha...What the hell?!" She whispered as she began struggling against her restraints.

"Good. You're awake."

Her eyes shot up. Towering over her, was the same dark haired leader from earlier. His brows furrowed down as she stared up at him. The glare causing her to slightly duck her head.

"L-let me go..." Any hopes of not showing her fear died at the crack in her voice.

"You will stay like this until I can decide what your fate shall be ,witch." With that he turned back to walk towards the fire.

_Witch!? What the hell?!_

Keeping still, Maya waited until he was far enough away before she began struggled against her restraints as quietly as she could. Biting her lower lip, she tried to ignore the burning pain of the rope digging into her wrists.

_Need to get Anders and find a way to...Wait...Where's Anders?_

Her eyes darted around. The same men from earlier gathered around a fire, the man in gray smoking his pipe against a rock just feet from the others, the horses tied up a few feet from her. There was no sign of her companion.

_Anders?_ "Anders?"

Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned their attentions to the bound girl, yet no one spoke up. Swallowing around the lump in her throat, Maya asked again. "Where's Anders?"

Silently, they all frowned and exchanged looks of concern that didn't go unnoticed by Maya. Fearing the worst, her eyes went wide. "What the hell did you do!? Where is he?!"

"We did nothing to him." The somber tone in the baritone voiced man made her heart drop.

"Then where is he!?" Panic began to rise in her voice and she doesn't know why she has this sudden concern for a man she barely knew, and not to mention was a dick most of the times. But whatever the reason, it seemed to give her a new kind of confidence. "What aren't you telling me!? I swear to God if you did anything, I will-"

"I am sorry my dear." The sorrow in the old man's voice made her blood run cold. Slowly he walked up to her. "Master Kili. If you will?"

The beardless man, known as Kili, slowly stood and made his way over to them. His frown deepened when the leader grabbed Kili's arm, stopping him in his tracks.

Glaring at the very tall man, he snarled. "What do you think you are doing?"

"She has a right to know."

"We have no idea what she is capable of, this witch."

"Then you would deny this child to see him before it's too late?"

_Before what's too late? What are they talking about!?_

The smaller man scowled as he lowered his gaze. For a moment he said nothing, as he pondered the old man's words, before he glanced at Kili and gave a sharp nod.

The younger man said nothing, just walked over and began to undo her bindings. Slowly she sat up, and rubbed her sore wrists as she looked up at Kili, who strangely looked like he seemed to have grown in the few hours that she was unconscious. Remembering Anders, she mustered up the courage to speak. "What does he mean when he said before it's too late?"

The beardless averted his eyes and clenched his jaw. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Her brows furrowed with confusion. Looking over at the other men, in hopes of getting some answers, revealed only weighty looks of guilt and uncertainty. "Why..." Though weary of her, the man, with the funny hat, met her eyes as he slowly shook his head. Maya's eyes grew wide as she felt her heart stop. She shook her head in disbelief. "No...No!" Swiftly moving to her knees, she grabbed Kili's collar. "You're lying! Where is he!?"

Gently he pulled her hands off of him and stood up, helping her to her feet in the process.

"He can't..." The rest of the sentence died on her lips as she stared into the brown eyes.

"There was nothing we could do." Glancing up, Maya was taken aback at how much taller the old man had become. "I am truly sorry."

Kili slowly helped her to her feet. For a moment any thoughts of Anders went away as she took in the 9 inch height difference now between her and the young man. What the -? I shrunk!

"Come child." Placing a hand on her shoulder and shaking her from her thoughts, the older man led her over to her fallen companion. Just on the opposite end of the circle, a few feet away from the others, lay a body with a blanket draped over it. A lump began to form in her throat as she neared the body. Slowly she knelt beside him and gently pulled the blanket back. She choked back a whimper as her eyes fell upon his peaceful face. Just like her, he wore a different top than the button up shirt from before.

"Anders? Please wake up." Her voice barely a whisper as she fought hard to keep her tears from falling. Hesitant, she slowly reached out and gently shook his shoulder. "Anders. You have to wake up. Please don't leave me too. Please."

At the first tear that ran down her cheek, another one followed and another. It was at that point that she let go of control and grieve for her fallen companion.

"His pulse is weak. I doubt he will last the night."

Maya took a shaky breath as she turned to the men discussing around the fire. "What?"

_I doubt he will last the night._ The words repeated in her head as she turned her attention back to Anders. Slowly she reached out and placed two fingers at his pulse point on his neck. She felt nothing. Chewing on her lower lip, she leaned over him letting her head rest against his chest. It was faint but she could hear his heart beating. She choked back a sob as she listened to his heart beat with relief.

"She has made her peace and she knows of his fate, now Kili, Fili bind her hands."

_What!?_ At that thought, two pairs of hands grabbed her shoulders, pulling her off of Anders.

"No! Don't please!" She cried out. Still weak, her struggles against them men were pointless and only slowed them down as they dragged her away.

"There is no need to restrain her, Master Thorin. She is of no threat to you or your men."

At the stern voice of the old man, Kili and Fili stopped, though they still held onto Maya.

"And how would you know that?"

"She is a mere child."

Seeing that both men were focused on the old man, Maya took a moment to glance back at Anders. I can't just leave him here. What if he...No! I can't let him die.

"We do not know what she is nor this Anders are capable of. She -"

Glancing at the men, who were still focused on the old man and their leader, then back at Anders. A quick scan led her eyes to the ponies. Huddled in a group, they grazed silently in the dark. Squinting her eyes, she noticed that their ropes were loosely tied to a few tree roots that protruded from the ground.

_Need to get him help...Just need to..._

"Master Thorin, be reasonable. She is more scared of you than you of her."

Taking a deep breath, Maya threw an elbow to Kili's side. As he keeled over, she turned out of his grasp and without giving Fili a moment to think, swiftly grabbed his shoulder, pulling him down as she landed her left knee into his stomach. As he feel to the ground, Maya hastily ran back to Anders. Just as she reached him, a pair of large arms wrapped around her chest. Letting out a high pitched scream, she began kicking against her capture. Unphased by her actions, he carried her back to the group with little difficulty. Driven by her adrenaline rush, she snarled before leaning her head down and barely nipped his forearm. Instead of letting her go, as she had hoped, he squeezed tighter forcing a grunt out of her.

"The lass has fight in her, I'll give her that. You lads alright?"

Both men were rubbing their stomachs, but nodded nonetheless with a glare at Maya.

"Release her."

All eyes drifted to their leader as he stepped forward.

"Thorin -"

Thorin held up his hand, not letting the larger man finish. Instead, he placed Maya back on the ground, releasing his hold on her. For a moment, she thought of trying to run again, but as if he read her mind the larger man kept on hand on her shoulders. Giving a quick squeeze as a warning for her not to move.

Maya bit her lip as she scanned the group of men who now stood taller than she, stopping on when she reached the eyes of the leader, Thorin. Straightening up even more, he slowly walked up to her. Looking her over, his eyes narrowed before he circled her. Keeping an eye on him, she shifted uncomfortably under his stern gaze.

"You're not from here. Are you?"

Keeping her eyes low, she shook her head.

"Where are you from?"

"Los Angeles."

When there was no response, Maya looked up. Confused looks and exchanging of shrugs were unsettling for her. The silence didn't last long as the same angry gaze was on her once more.

"Do you think it is wise to lie to me?!"

Maya flinched, lowing her eyes to the ground as she hastily shook her head.

"What is your business here? What do you know of my people?!"

_What?_ Wide eyes shot up to meet his glare. "What? I -"

"Who are you?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that you all enjoyed the latest chapter in my story. I am so sorry that it has taken me so long to update, but so much has happened in my life that unfortunately I hadn't really had time to sit down and write. Thankfully your reviews and encouragement has helped me set time aside to finish this chapter. Yes this was very much a Maya episode but don't worry, Anders will be back in the next chapter, so please be patient with me. I just wanted to sort of give a little more to my oc's character.


	4. Chapter 4

Several times she opened her mouth to answer, yet she knew not what to say. Her mind too wrapped up with her own questions.

_Where am I? Why am I here? When did they grow so tall? How did we shrink?_

Just as Thorin took another step closer to her shaking form, a loan moan made everyone pause. All eyes turned to the man who still lay prone. Snapped out of her thoughts, Maya’s eyes grew wide as Anders began shaking. 

“Anders!” 

No longer concerned about the intimidating leader, she rushed to Anders’ side. Slowly kneeling down, she hesitantly reached for his hand. Yet just as her fingers touched his, Anders eyes snapped open causing Maya to gasp, retracting her hand. As if possessed, he began to convulse, eyes rolling in the back of his head while he began muttering in a language that Maya was unfamiliar with. 

“Anders!?” 

“What’s happening with him?”

She ignored Kili’s question. Try as she might, she couldn’t stop from panicking as she tried to think of what to do in this situation. All answers pointed to calling an ambulance, but considering where they were, that wasn’t going to happen. So instead, she did the only thing she could think of. A few seconds of hesitation, she grabbed hold of his hand. His grip tightened around hers. While she was hopeful that it was because he was conscious of her presence, she knew it was more than likely a reflex to the convulsions. Still she tried to stay positive. 

“Anders. It’s ok. You’re going to be okay. You have to be okay! You can’t leave me! You have to be okay!” 

Her voice just above a whisper, she wasn’t sure anymore who she was trying to console, herself or the man she barely knew. As she continued to whisper to Anders, she gave up on control and let the tears fall freely down her cheeks. Allowing herself to accept her fears and feelings of helplessness. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The light of the sun slowly began to peak from beyond the forest. The men snoring, fast asleep as far as Maya knew. Anders had finally calm down sometime during the night. Around what time, she didn’t know, nor did she care. 

She was so relieved when he finally calmed, but the relief and happiness she felt when she felt his fever had broken and pulse grew stronger were beyond words. But it wasn’t enough to make her fear, that he would start up again, disappear. 

She stayed by his side. Stroking his hair when he seemed to be having a bad dream, or wiping the sweat from his brow with the sleeve of her shirt. 

_He can’t die...He just...God! Why the hell should I care!? He’s a dick! First he tells me I have to pay for his suit! Like I asked him to jump in with it on!? Then he says I’M the one causing trouble when that guy basically called me a prostitue?! Sure he saved my life, but he’s mean and insensitive and just a pain in the ass who does nothing but complain..._

Maya jumped when a hand landed on her shoulder. Without thinking, she jumped to her feet and spun around, hands up as ready to throw a punch at the person who snuck up on her. Her narrowed eyes meeting old blue eyes that held surprise and amusement. 

“Forgive me. I meant no harm.” The giant man said with a slight chuckle. 

Letting out a sigh of relief, her shoulders slumped. “Sorry...I’m just jumpy...”

He nodded as he watched her. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him, in fact out of the entire group, inlcuding Anders, he was the only one she liked. Still his focus on her at the moment, made her uncomfortable. Biting the inside of her cheek, she cast her eyes at her feet. 

“Did you get any sleep?” 

The deep voice of Thorin caused her body to tense up. Slowly Maya lifted her gaze to find the dark haired leader walk up next to the old man. His gaze locked onto her, as if trying to see through her. She opened her mouth to say yes, however when his eyes narrowed she realized lying would be the worst thing to do at this point. With a small sigh, Maya let her head fall. 

“No...”

“Earlier you said you didn’t know this man’s name. So you do not know him.”

She gave a small shake of her head, not bothering to look up at the man. 

“Why did you stay by his side all night then?” 

The question caught her by surprise for she kept asking herself the same question and the truth scared her the most. She didn’t know. 

“Answer me.” 

His voice was soft, but the command was still very much apparent. She took a shaky breath, slowly letting it out as she lifted her gaze. There was no amusement, no emotion what-so-ever in his face. A shiver ran down her spine, once again at a loss for words. 

“I...I don’t. know...” The response got a glare from the man. Swallowing around her fear, she continued. “We met the other day...I was drowning and he saved me...I owe him my life...” 

Looking down at the leader, the old man lifted a brow and with a sympathetic smile, gave a small shrug. Irritation and reluctance were easy to see in Thorin’s face before he gave a heavy sigh. Returning his gaze upon Maya, his jaw tensed and eyes narrowed before turning back to the group.

Maya let out the breath she didn’t realize she was holding as he walked away. Only after a few steps did he stop. 

“We leave in one hour. Be ready by then.” 

Her jaw dropped. “What...”

“You will be given a pony and accompany us to the next town.” 

Again she was speechless. Folding her hands in front of her, she bowed at the waist. “Thank you. How can I repay you’re kindness?”

Thorin tensed as he turned to face her. “I do not do this out of kindness. Your loyalty to a man you barely not is admirable and for that I will offer our help. But do not think it will not come with a price.” 

Maya swallowed and nodded as Thorin continued to lay out the rules of their stay. 

“My company nor I will be accountable for your or his safety. I will give you a pony, food and water. We shall leave you to the path that leads to the nearest town and from there you will be on your own. Most importantly, you will not rely on help from my men. I will not risk their well being for a human.”

She perked up at the word ‘human’. _What the hell..._

“Is that understood?” 

Snapped out of her thoughts, she nodded and with that he walked away to wake the others. Scratching her head, she turned her attention back to the old man and bowed. 

“Thank you.”

“For what? I did nothing.” 

“So you didn’t convince him to help us out?” 

He scoffed. “My dear child, I haven’t the faintest idea what you are getting at.” 

Maya chuckled and shook her head. _Riight. Whatever, I’m too tired to argue with him._

“I’m Maya.” 

With a smile, the older man bowed his head. “They call me Gandalf. Gandalf the Grey.” 

“Pleasure to meet you.” 

“The pleasure is all mine, Miss Maya.” 

Stretching her arms above her head, she let out a yawn. “Well I guess I should find out which pony is mine. Can you-”

Her smile faltered remembering Thorin’s words. _“... you will not rely on help from my men.”_

Letting out a nervous laugh, she scratched the back of her head. “Uh...Sorry, almost forgot. Soo I’m gonna just go.” 

Another nervous chuckle and a quick bow, Maya quickly walked away. 

The men shuffled back and forth from the campsite to the ponies. Some still groggy with sleep. Others like Thorin, Kili and Fili, were more alert. Careful about not getting in the way, she slowly made her way over to where Thorin stood, talking with the large man who had grabbed hold of her earlier. In the low light of sun rise, she was able to see him better. A larger taller man whose balding head was tattooed with what looked like some kind of tribal symbols and muscular arms that would intimidate any man. 

Stopping just a few feet behind Thorin, Maya coughed to get his attention. Neither man took notice. Biting her lip, she lifted a hand to tap him on the shoulder. Unable to bring herself to tap him, she swallowed. 

“Sir?” 

The two continued talking. Her shoulders slumped in defeat. 

_Really!? Ok one more time...Come on Maya, you can do this!_

“Sir?” 

The talking stopped, and Thorin slowly looked behind him. She could feel herself shrink away from the man’s intimidating glare. Giving a nervous smile, she meekly waved.

“H-hi...Uh sorry for interrupting...I was just wondering which pony you wanted me to use...” Quickly she straightened up and bowed. “Sir.”

For a moment, she wasn’t sure if he was going to respond, but after some thought he smiled and said. “The brown one.” 

Thorin and the others, who had apparently been listening in, began to laugh at Maya’s expense. Looking over at the ponies, five of them being different shades of brown. 

_Oh ha ha. That’s funny. Yeah let’s make this more awkward for the girl._

Turning her attention back at Thorin, she smiled and bowed her head. “Thank you.” 

With that, she went to get a pony. She figured it was all just a process of elimination and sure enough, she managed to find the one brown pony that was used to carry goods and supplies. Since he didn’t say specifically which one, and as long as no one else claimed it, she was safe. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Packing the bed rolls and blankets was easy for Maya. Getting Anders up on the pony while he was unconscious was the difficult part. 

Standing over his sleeping form, she scratched her head as she looked around. Almost everyone was packed up and ready to go. Those who had finished sat atop their ponies, watching her in amusement. 

“Ok, Maya...Lifting Anders isn’t going to be a problem...but how am i gonna get him on the damn horse...pony...Ugh screw it, I’ll figure it out over there.” 

Place a foot on either side of him, she reached down and grabbed hold of his arms to pull him into a sitting position. Gently, she placed each arm around her neck, allowing her to wrap her own arms around his waist. A quick shift of her feet and bend of her knees, Maya slowly lifted Anders butt off the ground. Satisfied he was lifted enough, she quickly switched her feet and thrusted out her butt to ensure his upper body would rest on her back. 

“Oh my god. Anders you so owe me after this.” 

Catching her breath, she lifted her right arm above her head and maneuvering it around Anders head, and under his limp arm. Once she felt he was well on her back, she held on to the back of his legs as she slowly straightened a bit. The first step nearly caused her to loose her balance. Bouncing him up a bit higher, Maya carefully carried the unconscious man over to the pony. 

Gasps and hushed voices, she knew they didn’t expect this and she knew they were all staring. Still she pushed on, ignoring the strong desire to do nothing but runaway and hide. Upon reaching the pony, Maya paused, letting out an exasperated sigh. 

“Now how am I going to do this...” 

She chewed on her lip as she stared at the saddle. _If I were a bit taller...like my normal height, this wouldn’t be such an issue. I hate being short._

“Hurry up. We can’t stand around here all day.” 

Her face fell at Thorin’s command. _Wow, really!? I’m carrying a full grown man and you tell me to hurry up._

She shifted Anders on her back as she weighed her options, before Thorin spoke again. 

“You have five minutes until we leave without you.” 

“Isn’t that a bit harsh?” 

“This matter does not concern you Burglar.” 

_Burglar? I thought his name was Billy...or something that started with a B..._

The smaller man hushed up, turning his attention back to Maya. His brows furrowed with concern. Still having enough strength and not wanting to test his patience any more, Maya bent lower to grab hold of the reigns with her right hand, before grabbing hold of Anders leg once again. Straightening up a bit and with a quick tug of the reigns, she and the pony walked together, each carrying their own load. 

“What do you think you are doing?”  

Slowly she approached Thorin and Gandalf. Lifting her head, she smiled. “I’m ready to go.” 

Figuring he was a man of little if not any patience by now, his anger came of no surprise to her. “I have had enough of your games!” 

“What makes you think I’m playing a game!? For the first time in a long time I was happy. But oh no, that couldn’t last. I had to nearly die in the ocean only to wake up to find myself here and that my savior is the biggest jerk I’ve ever met who just complains or makes you want to punch him. And then! He has the nerve to get sick and fall unconscious and make me feel like it was my fault cause I made him walk almost all night after he risked his neck for me! So now I’m here with you! And thank you for helping, honestly. But no! I’m not playing some stupid game because I’m tired and thanks to our agreement I can’t ask for help and because I can’t ask for help, I’m here carrying this man on my back, like a pony. So now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s move!” 

With that being said, she began walking down the path. The sound of several hoof steps the only confirmation to her that the others followed. She didn’t actually mean to say any of that. She didn’t quite know what it was about Thorin’s statement that made her break. All she knew was that she’s never spoke like that to anyone, especially a person of authority and while she did feel horrible about it, the dumb founded look on Thorin’s face was priceless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I'm back! Soooo sorry it took forever for the next chapter to be put up. Writers block is an evil evil thing. But anyways, I know that some of you think I'm killing off Anders, or those who know who Anders is feel he's not so godly...Do not fear, his godliness will come with the next couple chapters. I have my reasons for him being in an unconscious state, just be patient with me. I hope you all enjoy my new chapter.


	5. Chapter 5

Never in her life did she think she would find herself lost with a stranger on her back, while traveling with a group of men who seemed to take LARPing to a whole other level. But here she was. She let out a sigh as she readjusted the unconscious man on her back. Her pace had slowed down a while back and now was bringing up the rear of the group. The only thing at this point keeping her going was quietly humming to herself and the determination to not piss off the leader any more than she already had.

It still came as a shock to her at her outburst and she could only be thankful that the dark haired leader hadn't said anything or worse, left her behind with no horse and this unconscious prick.

Wow! I'm really cranky. Okay Maya, breath. Just keep walking and not talking. Cranky Maya always equals Maya with no filter.

She cringed remembering how many times she had said things that she immediately regretted because she was tired. Shaking of the thought, she continued her humming.

By midday Maya's legs burned with each step and her back ached. A nudge at her hand had her turn to the pony she led.

Great. Even the pony's telling me to hurry up. This is all Ander's fault. He just had to get worse. He probably did this on purpose to get back at me and is really fine but just sleeping...Please wake up Anders. Don't leave me here with the men by myself.

A frown formed on her face and without thinking she leaned her face against his limp head. Despite her anger towards the man, he was her only connection to her home. She couldn't lose that connection. Not now.

So lost in thought, Maya was completely oblivious to dip in the path until it was too late. Losing her footing, she fell face first into the ground. Even with the grass, it still hurt and more so with the extra load. A moan escaped her lips and the sound of laughter didn't go unnoticed, but Maya chose to ignore it. Slowly moving Ander's off her, she got to her hands and knees. She could tell that overall she was fine aside from a few bruises and a bruised ego.

"You alright there, lass?"

Lifting her gaze, she saw a man with a long beard and mustache with a funny hat laughing as he made his way over to her on his pony. She narrowed her eyes at him as she stood.

"Fine."

"Need a hand?" He asked dismounting and walking over to her.

Cocking a brow at him, she was ready to snap at him when he gave a smile. Despite laughing earlier, he did seem sincere in his offer. She was half tempted to take it when she remembered her promise. Biting the inside of her cheek, she released a deep breath.

"No. I'm fine. Thank you."

The man frowned and took a quick glance behind him before nodding.

"Ah. Right. Well seeing as how comfortable you are around the pony, I don't have to tell you there's other ways of getting on them." The man gave Maya a wink and a smile as he shifted his eyes in the direction of a large rock that lay planted in the ground off the side of the road.

Confusion shifted to understanding and before she could say thank you, the man with the funny had turned his horse around. She bit her lip. While she promised not to get assistance from his men, there was no mention of getting advice. And technically she didn't ask, he offered it before she could protest.

Shifting her gaze to the unconscious Anders still laying on his back and the rock, she let out a sigh. She grabbed the pony's reins and led it to stand next to the rock. The rock stood just at the pony's knees. While she wished it were higher, it would do. At the very least she would be able to get Anders on it's back.

"Stay." She said softly while holding up a hand.

Satisfied that it wouldn't move, she quickly walked over to Anders. The lack of sleep and having carried him all this way, lifting his dead weight was much more of a struggle. But she persevered, maneuvering herself so he was once again one her back. Her legs shook with each step and her breathing became more labored. For a brief moment she wasn't sure she was going to be able to climb on top of the rock without falling, but thankfully her footing stuck. Gently releasing Ander's legs on at a time, she wrapped her arm around his waist as she turned to face him. The limp body pressing against hers made her cringe. Instinct told her to move away and fast but she managed to ignore it as she twisted and turned them around so Anders face the pony. Careful not to drop him out of fear of spooking the pony, she managed to get him to lay across the saddle like a sack of potatoes. Straightening up she took in her work.

This could work...But if he wakes...That would be bad.

Picturing Anders waking up and falling off the saddle, while amusing didn't sit well with Maya. Taking a moment, she worked on a plan. Chewing on her bottom lip, she shifted him to lean against the smile pile of supplies tied down to the saddle. She was half tempted to throw his leg over and let him ride backwards but again. It would be cruel for him to wake to a pony's ass. Even though he was one himself. The thought made her chuckle to herself as she went back to work. More shifting, more lifting, more adjusting and finally she had him laying back against the supplies, legs straddling the saddle. As gently as she could, she mounted the pony. Settling in the saddle, she reached back and pulled Ander's against her, wrapping his arms around her waist before taking the reins.

A labored sigh escaped from her lips before a satisfied smile appeared on her face. Turning to the others, her smile faltered. All attention lay on her. Eyes wide with shock and awe and a bit of amusement. But the look that made her smile fall was seeing the amusement that pull at Thorin's lips before he ordered everyone to move.

Maybe things will be better now.

Smiling to herself, she kicked the pony's side and followed once again bringing up the rear.

* * *

 

Anders walked lazily on the path. He didn't know why the hell Mike insisted on meeting in the woods. There was no reason. No one else in their family was become a god. Unless dear old dad had another family that they didn't know about. He couldn't help but scoff at that.

It was when he got to the spot that he realized he was the only one there. His eyes scanned the area. Something caught his eye, a figure beside a distant tree. A young girl with auburn wavy hair hiding just behind the tree. Even at this distance, he could tell she looked scared. He took one step and she took a step back.

A sense of déjà vu hit him. The sound of a snapping twig behind him sent the girl running away.

"Wait!" His call went ignored and he couldn't help but scowl. "Dammit Mike! Why the fuck –"

His mouth went dry as he turned to find himself staring at himself. There were key differences. Bigger build, bigger nose, long hair and a braided mustache that Anders would never be caught dead having on his face. But the eyes were the same that he saw every time he looked in the mirror.

"You! Who the fuck are you!? What are you doing here?"

The man said nothing before his eyes narrowed and he unsheathed his sword.

Anders let out a gasp as his eyes shot open. The feeling of a warm body against his own, his arms wrapped tightly around their waist was too much as he hastily pulled away. He instantly regretted the move as he suddenly found him struggling to keep seated and with a high pitched squeak he fell of the pony.

"Anders!"

He let out a moan as someone quickly rushed to help him up.

"Anders are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" He snapped shoving the hands away as he scurried to his feet brushing himself off. "Why do you. Oh it's you."

The concern from the same brown eyes in his dream vanished and replaced by annoyance.

Well that explains the girl in the dream. What was her name? Again? Mia...Mina...Briefly recalling it was the same reaction she gave when he first saw her in the ocean.

"Yup. You're fine." She muttered.

The response was priceless to him as he let out a chuckle before movement drew his attention away from the girl. Several men on horses stood before him. Upon laying eyes on the blond, his memory returned. The bizarre man who mistook him as someone else, the group of men surrounding him, and the man who had his eyes before everything went black. He had hoped it was all a dream, but as reality hit him, he could feel himself start to panic.

Lifting a hand to adjust his collar, his eyes widened as his hand touched skin.

What the?

Frantically, he glanced down to find his clothes similar to those of the men on the horses. He looked at the girl and took in her change of attire as well to loose fitting tunics and trousers. He opened his mouth and quickly closed it as he turned his attention to the other men. It was then he noticed how much larger the ponies seemed to have gotten since he passed out.

"What? You…But were you. And now you're." His hands flailed about as he tried to spit the words out. "What the fuck is going on!? Who the Fuck are you?"

Not one of his finest moments but who could really blame him. The old man dismounted and walked towards him. While he was tall to begin with, he now towered over Anders.

"To answer your first question. I am Gandalf, Gandalf the Gray."

"Gandalf!" The dark haired man used a familiar tone. The same tone Mike frequently used on Anders.

Ooh right. That Theo whats his name. He and Mike would get along well if they met.

"Who are you?" The man said dismounting his pony.

"I asked you first." Anders said smugly.

The man glared and quickly unsheathed his sword, bringing it directly to Anders throat.

"What the fuck!?" He cried out throwing his hands up in a surrender position.

"No! Don't!" The girl cried out.

"I will not ask you again. Who are you and why do you bare resemblance to Fili?"

The tone sent a shiver down Anders spine. Not one to underestimate his lack of fighting skills, Anders was not one to back down so easily.

"Who I am is no concern of yours. But you will lower your weapon." As the voice of Bragi floated past his lips, Anders felt relief flow through him as the man did just that. "You and your men will get on your horses and take us to the nearest town. You will bring no harm to myself or my friend, is that understood?"

For a moment, it seemed as though he was going to do just that, when his doppelganger and the man he called brother raced to their leader's side, their weapons focused on Anders. The man snapped back to his senses.

"What sorcery is this?!" He roared. "How could you not know he was a wizard!?"

Anders knew he was in hot water this time. The sound of others dismounting and swords being drawn was an indication of that. But he did his best to keep his calm.

"He is not one that I know of. I assure you." Gandalf stated, his eyes narrowing down at him. "Who are you?"

"Do not try anything wizard or we will have your head." The beardless man sneered.

"And your friend's."

What?

The term puzzled Anders for a moment until he looked back. His eyes widened, seeing her being held with a sword at her neck by a large bald man.

"Holy Fuck!" He cried out. Spinning back around he found the others watching him like a predator watches its prey. His heart raced. There was no way to get out of this alive if he didn't talk. He may not like her but he didn't want to see her die. He had already seen enough blood to last him a life time.

"Alright! Alright...Just please...don't hurt her." He said taking slow deep breaths.

The leader straightened and lowered his weapon slightly before signalling everyone to do the same. Chancing a look back, he found the bald man no longer had the knife to her throat. She was breathing heavily as tears ran down her cheeks. She was afraid and rightly so, but she was alive.

"Who are you?" The baritone voice asked.

"Anders Johnson." He said turning back to the leader.

"Who are you?" The brunette's voice became dangerously soft as he took as step closer to him.

It suddenly occurred to Anders just what the man meant. "Bragi, God of Poetry."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO! I'm BACK! Wow...It's been a crazy long wait for you all and I truly apologize. At first I got stuck and didn't really know where to go with the story and then life kind of happened. Anyways, while working on re-writing my first story, I came back to this one and it was re-reading this story that I finally got some direction for it. Sorry this is a short chapter but I hope you enjoy it. Comments and reviews always appreciated!


	6. Chapter 6

 

CHAPTER 6

 

The company shared glances of confusion for a brief moment when they burst out laughing.

  
“God? You are no God!” The young beardless man cried out.

 

“He is not just any God, but the God of _Poetry_.”

 

The bald man’s statement was followed by a roar of laughter. Anders bristled at their mockery, yet he couldn’t help but notice Gandalf not joining in with the others. His eyes never leaving Anders and it was enough for the God to feel slightly self-conscious.

 

The brunette leader’s chuckled slowed before he turned to Anders. His smile disappearing all together.

 

“Do you take us for fools? There is no God of Poetry.”

 

“Really? Because if I remember correctly, just a few minutes ago you experienced some of my powers.”

 

He couldn’t help but smirk as the leader’s face fell. The feeling of pride was short lived when a sword was pointed at him once again.

 

“Yes and try anything like that again and it will be-”

 

“Yea yea. My head, I know. But then you know I’m not lying to you either.”

 

“You will watch your tongue _god._ ”  He sneered. His eyes bore into Anders and he briefly recalled the same look of hate Natalie had given him before killing Helen.

“What are your powers exactly?”

 

“My powers can bend mortals to my will.” He stated confidently to the old man who finally decided to speak.

 

For a moment Gandalf said nothing and Anders couldn’t help but note how nice it was to not have Ty make some stupid comment about his powers only working on bimbos. His brother knew very well they worked on other people, hell his business is proof of that. Not that he always used them on clients, but as a businessman he was allowed to have fun and beautiful women were fun.

 

“You say your powers work on mortals.”

 

“That’s correct.” Anders replied.

 

There was a glimmer in the old man’s eye that made him uneasy. The old man was up to something and he had a feeling he didn’t like it.

 

“Are there others like you? Other gods, that is.”

A mousey brown haired man who seemed a foot shorter than the others sat upon his pony. His meek demeanor and questioning look told Anders the man was just as uneasy as he was about this whole situation. The question was innocent enough. Part of him was all but willing to deny this fact, however given the death glare he was receiving from the leader and mini him, self-preservation told him that would not go well.

 

“Yes.”

 

“How many are there?” The leader said curtly.

 

“Aside from my brothers, the goddess and a few other Maori gods. I don’t know.”

 

Anders heart thumped in his chest for a brief moment he thought that everyone could hear and figured it was just a matter of time before they could see his fear. But no one said anything. They all watched in silence. Waiting for their leader to say something. Do something. Taking a chance, he glanced over to the girl. While she was no longer crying, her cheeks remained stained from her tears. Her lower lip trembled as she stared back at him. He could tell she was confused and frightened but he admired how she tried to remain just as calm as he hoped he appeared.

 

A small nod to her was the only comfort he could give before turning his attention back ahead.  The leader watched him closely, but not as close as Gandalf. Old blue eyes never wavering and only seemed to bore into the center of his being. Anders suppressed a shudder.

 

“Perhaps he could be of use to us Thorin.” He said slowly.  “Having one with an ability as his could work in his favor.”

 

_Thorin….weird name._

Upon noticing the tiniest curve in the old man’s lips, Anders suddenly had a sneaking suspicion that this old man had his own ulterior motives for saying what he said. However, he wouldn’t be given the chance to dwell on it more before Thorin begrudgingly agreed.

 

“Very well. I will not be held accountable for his safety. And _God_.”

 

“Anders.”

 

Thorin’s jaw clenched at Anders’ smugness and continued. “If you try anything, I will promise you will not live to see your home again.”

 

With that, Thorin turned on his heels and mounted his pony. It was then that everyone followed suit only pausing when a gruff voice spoke.

 

“What of the girl, Thorin?”

 

“Bring her.”

 

Anders released the breath he didn’t even realize he had been holding as the bald man dragged the girl with him to his pony.

 

_Good job Bragi. What the hell is going on with you?_

He rolled his eyes and held back a growl of irritation. His powers were stronger than before, that much was obvious. But his patience for waiting was running thin. And that girl was going to give him more trouble than his brothers back home.

 

_She owes me big._

**\-----------------**

 

Maya was placed onto the front of the saddle with the giant man who had earlier held a knife to her throat. Her mind was reeling, playing back everything that had just transpired. Everything said. Despite witnessing Thorin’s change in behavior, the shift in Anders voice, she still found it hard to believe.Even more curious was how Gandalf was more amused than frightened by this new found information. It brought about more questions in her already cluttered mind.

 

Slowly she lifted her gaze to the man she rode with. He frightened her, with his rigid posture. The glare in his eyes as he stared ahead, his jaw obviously tense beneath his long brown beard.

 

She quickly cast her eyes away when he caught her looking at him. Not that she was subtle in doing so in the first place. Still, it didn’t stop her heart from nearly leaping out of her chest or the small squeak that almost escaped past her lips.

 

“Something on your mind?”

 

The words made her jump. She hadn’t expected him to talk to her and wasn’t sure how to respond. While his voice was gruff, there seemed to be no hostility in the question. Taking a slow breath, she asked the first question that came to her mind.

 

“Who are you all?”

 

The man stiffened and for a moment Maya worried that she had made him angry. A quick look to Thorin, who only gave a small nod, the man relaxed. But only slightly.

 

“Dwalin.” He said dully.

 

One by one the men introduced themselves. She couldn’t help but note how each name rhymed with one or two others. However, it wouldn’t help her in remembering them. Even with the rhyming, she was horrible with names and theirs were so different from anything she’s heard, it would take a while before she would be able to say them all correctly.

 

Slowly she bowed her head and tried her best not to show how terrified she was. To her surprise and relief, not all the men showed hostility. The man with the silly hat, Bofur as she discovered, gave a reassuring smile as did the younger man, _Or…something…Orly? Or was it something else._

 

“As you know I am Gandalf, and this is Bilbo. I believe you two met already.”  The wizard said indicating to the smaller man riding beside them.

 

She mouthed hello and gave a small bow of her head before speaking up. “How do you all know each other?”

 

Tension ran through the group. All eyes fell on the wizard awaiting for his response. Maya gulped as Gandalf eyed Thorin who had, to her relief, remained quiet. Gandalf cleared his throat ready to speak when Thorin interrupted.

 

“We are from the Blue Mountains.”

 

Maya’s brows furrowed in confusion. _The blue…where…_ “Oh…Where’s that?”

 

The question all but had the leader of the group stop his pony and in doing so stopping every else. Slowly he turned his pony around to face her. For a moment, she feared that he was going to kill her or worse, yell at her. But there was no anger in his eyes, only suspicion.

 

“It is west of The Shire.”

 

Maya bit her lower lip as she thought. Scanning her mind of what little she knew of Geography. Yet the longer she tried to think, the name itself was all but unknown to her. Meeting Thorin’s eyes, she frowned.

 

“I’m sorry, I don’t know where that is.”

 

His eyes narrowed before looking past her, she assumed to Anders. _I wonder if he knows what he’s talking about._

 

Her thoughts were answered when the same suspicious eyes met hers once again.

 

“You do not know these places.”

 

She shook her head. It was at this moment she wished that she hadn’t spoken in the first place.

 

“Earlier you said where you were from. Thorin perhaps she was not lying. It would explain her and her companion’s accents. And perhaps explain why he bear a similar resemblance to Master Fili.”

 

_Accent? Oh…Guess they all seem to be British. I didn’t notice that before._

 

“Then how did they get here?” Thorin pressed.

 

“I do not know and by the looks of things, neither do they. But seeing as how they are not from here and have nothing to gain, perhaps extra members might prove viable in our journey. After all, we seem to have a God amongst us.”

 

“And what of the girl? She cannot fight.”

 

“We cannot leave them here alone when they do not know the dangers that are around them.”

 

Despite fearing the man she rode with she couldn’t help but lean back into him. As if he would act as some sort of protection from the hostile looks Gandalf and Thorin shared. For a while, neither spoke and the group remain silent as they had their silent conversation. In the end it was Thorin who finally agreed, reluctantly ordering Balin to have them sign the contract.

 

Balin rode up to Maya with a tight lipped smile as he got out a long sheet of paper and an ink feather pen. She hesitantly grabbed the pen and signed the paper. In the back of her head she knew she should always read a contract but given how quickly they started moving again and how reluctant Thorin had been in agreeing to them coming along, she didn’t want to push her luck in delaying the group.

 

“Welcome to the company of Thorin Oakenshield.” He said with a bow of his head.

 

She did the same as they rode past the older man, who waited behind to have Anders sign as well. Looking behind, she watched as he scanned the paper. Biting her lip, she turned back. There were still so many questions swirling around in her head and the contract only brought up more. The group seemed secretive and while she too kept her distance from others, she couldn’t help but wonder what it was they were trying to protect. Maya held her tongue. She had some of her questions answered and she and Anders seemed to be safe for the time being. But at this moment all she wanted to do was get back to her new found companion. While he easily got on her nerve, she needed something familiar. Or at least more familiar than the man she rode with.

 

“Um…I…Sir?” She stammered.

 

“What is it?”

 

She couldn’t help but shrink a bit at the sharp tone in his voice. “Can I ride with Anders? We won’t try anything and you heard Gandalf, we don’t know where we are so riding off would be stupid cause we could get lost or worse killed…but then you would kill us too if we tried to run so-“

 

“Alright! Alright. Just stop your blabbering.”  Dwalin said rolling his eyes as he stopped the pony.

 

_It’s not my fault that I talk a lot when I get scared._  

 

“Just remember, try anything…”  
 

Maya gave a curt nod as he dismounted with her right behind him. She made sure to keep close to the large man as he led her to Anders. Not really sure what he was thinking as Anders watched them approach, Maya kept her eyes low. Dwalin said nothing as he moved her to stand in front of him. Placing his hands under her arms, he lifted her up with ease as she sung a leg over the saddle, settling snuggly behind Anders. Ander said nothing as he scooted up to give her a bit more room, for which she was thankful.

  
“Move out.”

 

A slap on the backside was all it took to get the pony to start walking again, following the others with lazy steps.

 

“Are you alright?”

 

Maya nodded, her eyes locked on her hands. Not used to riding like this, she was uncertain where to hold before settling on holding onto the back of his shirt.

 

“Are you ok?” She asked cautiously.

“Aside from the kink in my neck, being lost and nearly dying…twice. I’m fine.” He snapped.

She remained silent. The familiar feeling of guilt gnawed at her.

_“Can’t do anything right.”_

_“Stupid whore.”_

The images of a hand on her neck, eyes filled with anger and hate flashed behind her closed eyes.

_Stop! Get out of my head!!_

Letting out a whimper, she screwed her eyes close. Her hands clenching Anders shirt tight as the voices got louder. A tear ran down her cheek. Lifting a hand, she hastily wiped it away trying desperately to push the images away before anyone noticed.

However, it didn’t go unnoticed. Not for the young God who listened silently. All the while wondering. _What happened when I was passed out?_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had a bit of a block writing this chapter. Trying to reveal abit more about Maya. So i hope you all like this new chapter.


	7. Chapter 7

_What happened when I was passed out? How long had I been out for?_

These were the two main questions Anders wanted answered. He was quite thankful to know who they were, well as far as names went. But he knew something must have happened during the time he was asleep.

Taking in their surroundings, the woods were vastly different from those that they had been running through when they first met the group. Even the bush and shrubs weren't the same. It reminded him of the place where he and his brothers had become gods.

The distant sound of thunder and the sharp tug on the back of his shirt broke him from his thoughts. Dark clouds gathered above them. It was going to rain soon. Casting a look behind him, he found his partner silently staring at her hands. He couldn't tell if she was asleep or not, however, from the way she gently swayed with the gate of the horse, Anders figured she was alert enough to not fall anytime soon.

Focusing back ahead, his jaw tensed.  _What is with her and what's with wanting to ride with me?_

He didn't understand this shift to her clinginess and quiet. Not that she was overly talkative before. But she seemed meek, there was no snarky comment, no sassy and it suddenly bothered Anders that he was thinking so much about this.

Shifting uncomfortably in his seat, he scooted forward a bit. He hoped that it was a subtle move, but his riding companion seemed to notice as he heard a small whisper of an apology.

"It's fine. I'm uh...I needed to adjust...not used to being in a saddle."

_What the fuck was that?!_ Anders rolled his eyes with a cringe.

"Ah."

_Ah? Ok that's it!_ "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

The words came out harsher than he intended and at the feel of her jump, he knew she was just as surprised as he was.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean what's wrong you with you? You were determined and snippy and fucking bipolar for that matter, and now…Now you're just quiet and meek and -"

"Fuck you! You don't even know me!" She snapped as she hastily dismounted the pony.

Anders eyes went wide, whipping his head around to find her quickly catch herself from falling. Catching the looks from the familiar blond and his brother, Anders knew he wasn't the only one surprised by her actions. While he finally got to see the girl he had met the first day here, wherever here was, he hadn't meant to push her that far.

Looking around, it seemed the outburst caught more than just the brothers' attention as everyone was looking back at him in silence. A part of him was tempted to turn the pony around, the other part was still wondering why he still cared and just wanted to keep his pony moving. But he did stop his pony. Not to turn around, but upon finding the leader of the group riding to the back of the group. He did not look at the others as they slowed their pace, nor did he look at Anders as he passed him by. It wasn't until the older man with the contract ordered everyone to keep moving did they take their attention away from Thorin. Anders' mouth suddenly went dry as he watched him make his way to the girl.

Once again he caught the eyes of Fili and Kili. A simple raise of a brow from him and they gave a quick kick to their ponies' side to catch up to Anders. For a while they rode in silence. The brothers kept their eyes ahead and Anders couldn't help but cast a glance every now at then back at Thorin and the girl.

"She has slept little in three days." Fili said softly.

_Three days?_  Anders raised a brow in disbelief. "Really."

"We thought you wouldn't make it to morning the first night. But Miss Maya stayed by your side." Kili replied, his eyes not leaving the path.

_That's right. Her name is Maya._

"Thorin had agreed that she could stay but she had to carry her own weight. Couldn't get help from the company."

Anders snorted at that.  _And my brothers think I'M a dick._

"She carried you for most of the next morning." Stated Fili.

Anders' smirk faltered as he turned his attention back to the blonde.

"She didn't know how to get you on the pony and Thorin was already irritated, so she carried you on her back. Even snapped at him when he accused her of playing some sort of trick."

"What did she say?" He asked, raising a brow to both men.

Kili chewed the inside of his cheek as he tried to recall what her words were. "I believe it was along the lines of… ' _What makes you think I'm playing a game?'_ She mentioned about being happy for the first time and then being here, nearly dying and having to stuck with "the biggest jerk" she's ever met and then ordered everyone to move out."

The three men laughed. Two remembering all too well the look of his beloved uncle's stunned face and the other quite happily picturing how it played out. As their laughter subsided the younger man continued.

"She didn't leave your side until you awoke…When you first lost consciousness Thorin assumed you were husband and wife, yet she insisted that she had only just met you. For whatever reason, she refused to let you go." The admiration in Fili's voice did not go unnoticed to Anders.

The mention of them possibly being together in that way was utterly ridiculous. The fact that she looked barely legal was only a partial reason he would never even make any attempt at sleeping with her. Not to mention relationships were out of the question now in Anders eyes. Still the wave of guilt that hit him was impossible to ignore.

"Fuck." He sighed as he ran a hand through his hair.

It was a lot to take in and he wasn't exactly sure how to process everything he just found out. He desperately wished that he could find a bar and surprisingly enough, wished that he had his older brother and grandpa to turn to for advice. There was no doubt in his mind that they would mock him mercilessly for being carried by a girl. But at least after they were done with the mocking Mike would scold him for being a being so reckless and then for being a dick to Maya. Would probably blame him for most of it. Then there was Grandpa _. Grandpa would probably be too stoned to really help anyways._

Another sigh. All in all, he was screwed. If his brothers were here, he would have to deal with their accusations. Hell he wasn't even sure if Axl even wanted to see him after what happened. But at least with his brothers, he knew no matter what they were family, they were familiar to him and he could always find a way to get things back to normal.  _Or at least somewhat normal for god lives._

* * *

"Stupid. Fucking dick! Who the hell does he think he is? Why the hell did I even  _bother_  saving his ass? Ugh! And he has the nerve to call me bipolar! He doesn't even know me!"

She had been muttering to herself since she got off the pony. The fact that a dark brown pony and rider walked beside her didn't faze her out of her anger. She kept up a good pace to keep from falling too far behind but kept a good distance from Anders.

Watching the blond haired man laugh with Fili and Kili, the anger began to subside. She didn't know who she was more upset at. At him for making it sound like she was some bat shit crazy lady, although with her outburst she honestly couldn't blame him for thinking that. Or at herself. Their laughter stopped and Maya let out a small sigh.

_At least he's in a better mood. Don't Maya. Don't do this to yourself…Just pray that when you get back…Who are you kidding? I'm going to be in so much trouble._

"Are you finished with your little outburst?"

Maya jumped letting out a little squeak at the baritone voice. Hesitantly she lifted her gaze, finally acknowledging Thorin's presence.

"I uh...I...I-"

The feeling of water hitting her made her pause. It was followed by another drop, and another, and another. In a matter of seconds water poured down from the sky and Maya slowed her steps and let out a sigh.

_Of course it would rain now._

"Here put this on."

Her attention returned to Thorin holding out his robe. Maya's jaw went slack.

"Put this on, it'll help keep you warm. And get back onto one of the ponies."

She hesitantly took his offering and wrapped it around her already drenched body.

"Why-"

"I still do not trust you or your  _god_. But your dedication to him is admirable."

A blush spread on her cheeks as she gave a small bow in thanks.

"If you do not wish to ride with him, you may ride with our burglar."

_Burglar?_ She cocked her head at the word before scanning the company. As her eyes fell upon the smaller man who was watching them closely, he gave a sheepish smile and ducked his head.  _Oh, him. Shit…What was his name again? Gonna have to ask him._

She bit her lip and nodded.

"Okay. I just want to walk a bit longer."

Raising a brow, the suspicion in his eyes had once again returned and Maya was quick to make it go away.

"I promise I won't fall too behind. It's just…I'm not used to riding and I'm kind of sore."

His eyes softened a tad and gave a small nod. "Do not walk for too long. I will not sacrifice this company for one human."

Another nod and he rode to the front of the group, leaving her behind to walk in the pouring rain. The ground quickly dampened under her bare feet. Each step was cold and mushy and strangely amusing for her. She quickly bit her lip to hid the smile that pulled at her lips as she continued walking.

Being from LA, rain was rare and when there was, it didn't last long. She could only remember a handful of times of bad storms. The most recent being a year ago when she felt like she had gone through a small river as she drove out of her drive way. But it was nothing to this. The smell of wet leaves and mud. The cold yet refreshing feel of the rain water running down her hair and face. Slowly she opened her eyes, not knowing when she had closed them or when she had stopped for that matter, to find a hand extended in front of her.

Her eyes followed the hand up until she found herself looking up into a familiar face. Yet this face held no irritation or smug smirk. Just a sincere smile. She honestly couldn't help but raise a brow and eyes narrowed.

Anders rolled his eyes and let out a sigh. "You're gonna get sick standing barefoot like that. Now get on up."

Her jaw tightened as she moved her eyes between him and his hand. "Thorin said I can ride with their burglar."

"Oh. Okay then." It looked as if she might as well have slapped him across the face.

"That's not saying I'm going to. But…" She paused biting her lip as he raised a brow. "But only if you apologize."

His eyes narrowed a bit. "Apologize for what?"

"For everything! For being a jerk that first night. For not listening to me when I said something wasn't right about that village. For calling me bipolar and making it seem like you know me when you don't!" Maya tried to ignore the quiver in her voice as she spoke and the way her body began to tremble. While she wanted to believe it was just because she was cold, she knew better.

For a while Anders stared at her, completely speechless. Her heart pounded against her chest and blood rushed in her ears. The fear that she made a mistake was becoming overwhelming, when Anders finally spoke.

"Fine. I'm sorry. Now get on."

"No! I mean it. A sincere apology." A lump began to form in her throat as Anders studied her face. She had no doubt that he could see past her mask that was slipping by the second.

* * *

It wasn't every day that someone had him at a loss for words. He was the god of speech after all. Sure there were loads of people who he had to apologize for. Work was probably the biggest one, apologizing to clients he stood up. Sucking up to them and using the words of Bragi to ease them into not leaving them company. Apologizing to Dawn, his brothers…well no he never apologized to them…Not really. Except to Mike. And he truly was sorry for hurting his older brother like he did. But Anders didn't do sincere, didn't do heartfelt talks about his "feelings". He preferred blunt honest truth and people seemed to just accept that as Anders being a dick. Which he was fine with. At least that's what he told himself every day.

So for Maya to demand such a thing was almost laughable for Anders and he would have laughed. Was going to, had he not seen the way she shook. He first took it as her being cold, but seeing the fear in her eyes, it clicked. She was terrified. For what reason he wasn't sure. But he was curious and was going to find out.

With a final nod, he dismounted from his pony. A move which he immediately regretted the moment his feet made impact with a squish into the mud. He hated the rain. Making a face he cursed below his breath before straightening up.

"I'm sorry." He said softly. "I could have been easier on you given what you did for me. I guess I should also say thank you. For saving my life."

Maya gave a small smile and shrugged. "You saved mine. So guess that makes us even."

"Yeah. Guess so. But you can't tell me nothing was wrong. That's bullshit, you and I both know that. I may not know you but I can tell you're lying."

"Guess that's then end of your apology. Let's go." Maya sighed as she rolled her eyes and walked past him, completely ignoring his hand.

Anders gave a hearty chuckle as he turned and watched her mount the pony before looking at him expectedly. He didn't need an invitation as he mounted behind her.

"So why are you in front?" He asked.

"Because I'm shorter and also the back of the saddle hurts after a while." She said smugly.

"So you sacrifice my arse for your own. Good to know where you'll stand in a fight." He pouted.

"Yup." She said smiling as she gave the pony a small kick.

It was the first time that they had a truly friendly conversation and Anders couldn't help but smile as he held onto the back of the saddle. He wouldn't go as far as to say he enjoyed her company, but she was curious.

His mind drifted back to the look of fear in her eyes just moments ago. Curious was the word that came to mind. Not one to ignore his need to satisfy his curiosity, Anders was now determined to get to the bottom of this girl's mood swings. The only question on his mind now was how.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no. Anders is on a mission. So this got finished alot sooner than i thought. Hope you all enjoy it.

**Author's Note:**

> This was my first attempt at a crossover fanfic and multiple POV, so I really hope that you enjoy reading it.


End file.
